As far as common cooking ingredients go, bay leaves are actually a little controversial. In fact, some cooks claim that they're just overrated leaves. This might be partially true, but the beauty ...

Although fresh leaves are becoming more widely available, they are usually sold dried. The dried bay leaves are more strongly flavoured than fresh ones, but the uses for both are the same.

NPR’s Ayesha Rascoe talks to the Boston Globe’s Beth Teitell < > about the bay leaf and whether it’s necessary or not for your dish.